


Not So Bad

by pyommes



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Before Crisis Era (Compilation of FFVII), Enemies to Friends, First Dates, Kinda, M/M, Some Backstory sprinkled in, Teasing, perhaps even more..., they are just silly methinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:41:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29884035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyommes/pseuds/pyommes
Summary: As Rod gets used to working with the Turks, one of them in particular gets on his nerves. Maybe a slow day will help him realize he isn’t that bad a guy after all.
Relationships: Reno/Rod
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1
Collections: FFVII Secret Spring





	Not So Bad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taraxac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taraxac/gifts).



> Hi!! This is basically my first fic, so I hope it’s good enough? I wanted to write something a little before the events of the game and somewhat domestic? But overall I think it’s kind of soft and sweet. I hope you like it, Taraxac!

Rod’s first few weeks at Shinra aren't easy, but between this or prison (or even worse,) he supposed he would eventually get used to it. Between Tseng’s lectures, Reno’s 1 o’clock training, and piles of paperwork, he just wanted to go back to his room and crash. He looked down at his watch. Fifteen minutes past schedule.

The subtle humming of the pipes running along the walls only make him restless. What’s taking him so long? He slides down against the door, sighing as he runs a hand across his face. He wasn’t used to sitting still. Waiting around for nothing only aggravated him. His leg started to twitch, so he got back up, and walked in circles. 

When he really thinks about it, Reno didn’t exactly seem like the type Shinra would hire. Fighting aside, he gets careless, never cleans up his messes, and just like right now, is showing up late and wasting his own time. It didn’t matter if Reno was cute or liked to tease him, or the way he’d casually wrap his arm around him like it was nothing. Reno got on his nerves, plain and simple. Why couldn’t he go train with Shotgun?

He shakes his head. No need for any ...odd thoughts. 

Another half hour passes. Enough time for him to go to the bathroom and come back. When he sees that his mentor still isn’t here, he’s just about tired enough to call it quits.

“Yo, rookie!” Reno’s voice echoed throughout the training room, and Rod turned with a sigh. 

“You’re  _ late _ .  **_Again_ ** .”

Reno chuckled a bit, striding past him. “I overslept, but you’ll forgive me right?” He swung his weapon dangerously close to Rod’s face for emphasis. Rod pushed it away, annoyed. 

“I might be new here, but I don’t exactly have all day.” Rod huffs. It isn’t exactly fair that Reno’s weapon has upgrades, but that’s probably what real battles will be like. Reno just laughs at him, and the only thought that goes through Rod’s mind is how he’s always laughing at something.

“Well come on; let’s head outside.”

“Outside?”

“We’re going to be doing some running exercises today. Gotta see if you’re fast enough.”

“I thought you guys used bikes?”

“Of course we do,” Reno sneered. “But the whole reason you’re here is because you got away with one of ours, right?” And suddenly, Rod’s face goes as red as the hair on Reno’s head. He just wanted to humiliate him!

“And what are you going to do?”

“Well I’m going to be sitting behind the bike making sure you keep up. Rude’ll be driving.”

Rod scowls, suddenly more irritated than he had been before he appeared. Of course he would pull something like this, and he had no choice but to tag along and do what he said. ‘Veld, why would you set me up with this idiot?’ He thought.

The first lap wasn’t too bad. He was fit enough to keep up with a slow bike, even with Reno jabbing at his ego. He didn’t like losing so easy, even as he started to speed up by the second lap. By the third, he was obviously sweating, and couldn’t quite miss the way Reno eyed him carefully. They continued for another half hour, but by the sixth lap, he was starting to wear. He didn’t even care about following Reno’s shitty orders, he knew Verdot would get on his ass for pushing the newbie unnecessarily anyways. He stopped to catch his breath, legs burning like he’d ….

Well, he did just run the equivalent of a marathon. It was stupid, Rod thought as he sat down, ignoring the sound of the bike whirring back towards him. He won’t need to run this long for anything. That’s what that giant garage was for. The security wasn’t very tight and the bikes looked too tempting, and now he’s stuck in this giant mess.

“Yoohoo, anybody in there?” Reno looks down at him, and Rod looks up, frowning. “Aww, don’t tell me you’re tired now?” Said man flutters his lashes, and had he the energy Rod would have kicked him where it hurts. 

Rude bonks the back of Reno’s head. “I’d say he can run better than you. It’s my break anyways, so don’t kill each other or anything.” Rod won’t admit he likes the pout spread across Reno’s face. It doesn’t matter. Speaking of breaks, his stomach starts to rumble, and then he’s hit with the unmistakable feeling of hunger that he’s been ignoring all morning.

Reno sighs. “Come on. I  _ guess _ I went a little too hard on you today, so I’ll buy you lunch.” Rod tilts his head. This seems a bit out of nowhere for him, considering he’s been laughing at him all day long. “Don’t just stand there! We gotta go before the trains get crowded.” 

He won’t complain about free food.

  
  
  


————-

  
  
  


“So,” Reno takes a seat next to him, voice low as to not disturb the other customers. “How are you liking it at Shinra?” Rod doesn’t know what’s gotten into the other so suddenly, even if he knows Reno knows no personal space. 

“It’s fine.”

“Only fine? Not even those 5 digits on your paycheck’ ll be enough to change your mind?” Reno sticks his tongue out at him. Rod’s eye twitches.

“Money is money, and I get a cool bike. Beat people up. It’s whatever.” 

Reno leans back with a sigh, picking up the menu swiftly, like he expected a different answer.

“And you’re fine with the restaurant?”

“Um...yeah.” Rod picks up his menu, fiddling with it. It’s a wide selection of cutlets with different sauces and sides, and they’ve even got milk tea. A hole in the wall type of eatery, but the smell alone was worth Reno practically gluing himself to him on the train. “You’ve been here before, right?”

“Course I have,” he looks over at a waitress nearby. “Yo!”

Rod winces. Now he decides to be loud?

“Are you two ready to order?” The waitress asks happily. Rod tried his best not to seem like he had sweat through his shirt earlier, looking at his options. The other didn’t seem to care.

Reno pushes his chair back, the way children do when they’re impatient. “I’ll get the spicy chicken cutlet with extra rice. Oh, and a lemon soda!”

“I’ll have the same. But make my drink a mango milk tea.” The waitress takes their menus with a nod, ensuring they’ll have their food shortly.

“You don’t seem like the type to drink sweet stuff.” Reno says to him, leaning close once again. Rod looks down. Maybe the teasing is starting to get to him, or he’s too tired from earlier to think of a proper insult.

“You don’t even know me.” 

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try, right?” Reno tilts his head. “You grow up near here?”

“I don’t see why it’s important.” Rod slouches back into his seat. “You flirt with everyone like this?”

“Not everyone. Just cute people.” He winks, and Rod makes sure not to look at him directly. His face is warm. “ you’re just so…”

“So…?”

Reno shakes his head. “Why do you even steal bikes in the first place? Seems a little weird. They in high demand or something?” The waitress arrives with their drinks, and Rod is grateful to have something to fiddle with.

“At first it was just… something I did for money. My dad got sick and it was the first thing I could think of doing. I wasn’t old enough to work, so I…” he stops for a moment, and looks up. Reno is listening intently, no trace of malice on his face, steadily stirring his soda. It’s almost more unnerving than the crooked smiles Reno usually gives before beating the hell out of somebody. “I would go to the rich neighborhoods and take people’s bikes. One thing led to another and I stole from the wrong people. Worked my way through though. Got a lot of cool bikes over the years. And now I’m here.” He waves his hand around for emphasis.

“And your dad?” Reno asks cautiously. 

Rod doesn’t say anything, exhaling shakily as he takes a sip of his drink. Maybe it will rinse out the bitter taste on his tongue. 

“It happens. Y’know, Veld kind of reminds me of him a little. Maybe that’s why...” He took up on his offer. Whatever ‘potential’ he claims to have seen. He seems like a dad type. Maybe he has kids, or had. He never talks about his own past, so to wonder why he’s suddenly sharing his little sob story with a coworker? He’ll never know the answer. 

“You’re real lucky.” Reno says. “I never knew my dad, but from what my ma used to tell me? He was a dick. And Verdot likes ya so you’re pretty much covered now too.”

Rod feels relieved, finally having told someone. Maybe all the bike stealing got to him after his dad passed, and the only thing left to keep his ego up was fighting. This weirdly intimate moment was also nice. He needs to let go sometimes. When Reno turns the other way, he notices a suspicious brown haired girl in a hooded cape looking at them, very quickly hiding that she was watching by covering her face with a menu. Rod feels like he’s seen her face somehow before, but before he can say anything, their food arrives.

“Finally! I’m starvin’ yo. Thanks doll.” Reno grins at the server and she rolls his eyes with a smile, clearly used to his antics. 

“Well. Let’s eat up then.” 

  
  
  


———-

  
  
  


“We’re gonna be late.”

“It’s a slow day, so it doesn’t matter. Verdot won’t get mad if I said you wanted to head out.” 

Rod shoves him. “Don’t leave the blame on me. You’re just lazy.”

“Got me there.” Reno leans on his shoulder, and this time Rod doesn't stop him. The train is a lot emptier now. 

“Hey… did you see anyone staring at us?” Rod whispers, and Reno hums. 

“I dunno. You think someone was eavesdropping on our date?” He responds with a little chuckle. Rod gets the urge to pinch him. 

“Well I’m sure they were looking at us. She hid her face when I looked in her direction. She looked kind of familiar, but I couldn’t tell if she worked with us or something.”

“What’d she look like?” Reno sits up properly.

“Brown hair up to her shoulders and some dangly earrings.”

Reno looks out the window. “Hmm. Don’t think so. But we should report if someone was trying to get any info on us. Avalanche has been getting more powerful lately, last thing we need is anyone riding our ass.” 

Rod knows vaguely about the group. It’s gotten bigger these past few years, but they’re quick enough not to be caught so easy. Tseng’s next lectures will probably teach him more tomorrow. The heavy meal and quiet train car rumbling along on its tracks make his eyelids heavy, and he doesn’t protest when Reno tugs him closer. 

“Not like Shinra would fall so easily, right?”

Reno isn’t so sure. Things might be calm now, but there’s something in the air that tells him that things are going to start getting a lot more difficult. Maybe it’s fine if he just enjoys today for what it is. He dozes off for the rest of the ride, at peace with whatever kind of relationship he’s established with the other these past few hours. 

  
  


————-

  
  


“Do you want to explain why you two are so late? I expected this from you Reno, but dragging down some poor inexperienced kid? You should know better.” Tseng scoffs, tapping his foot by the door. The two of them both know they’ll be too exhausted to get any real work done, so they don’t push it.

Shotgun peeks out from behind the door. “They were probably on a date!” 

Both men turn their head to each other with a panicked expression, quickly turning red. 

“We weren’t-“ 

“He just wanted to-“ They overlap each other as Tseng turns around, brow raised.

“Whatever you do... _ privately _ is not my business. Just don’t do it when you have things to do elsewhere.”

They can hear Shotgun laugh from behind, and for a moment all of the tension is gone. 

“How about a photo of the two lovebirds?”  


“We’re not lovebirds,” Rod grumbles, at the same time Reno says “Sure!”

Maybe it isn’t too bad here after all.

———

  
  
  


“Say cheese!”


End file.
